Help!! My baby won't latch since my milk came in!!

[StaceymReadyForNumber3]

Right ds2 is 4 days old today. He's the first baby I've bf. he was doing so well. Until my milk came in yesterday. Now he just will not latch.

Last night he screamed for 4 hours and took milk on/off for most of that. But it obv wasn't working right because eventually I expressed and gave him a bottle of ebm and then he finally slept.

This morning he still won't latch, he acts hungry but just won't latch! I've had to express to get something down him.

Help! What can I do?

I thought maybe I should get nipple shields but I'm not sure why/if this would help!

It could be that your breasts are too engorged for him to latch on - could you hand express a little off (or pump if you are happier doing that) just before you latch him on?

Keep him near you and try hand expressing first. Feed little and often to avoid engorgement and don't express too much just yet.

I did try and latch him after expressing a bit but he's just fussing around the breast and won't latch, resulting in him getting angry and me getting upset :(

Actually reading again - he fed on and off for four hours? He probably wanted to feed to sleep. Did you try rocking to sleep? Then feed when he wakes and is hopefully calmer?

Stop expressing and giving bottles. He might develop bottle preference. Only hand express a tiny bit off. Then try. He'll pick up your upset so try to relax. Then try and cuddle to sleep. Then try a little feed again.

I honestly think I tried everything he didn't sleep at all in that time just fed a few gulps at a time and screamed!

Try a different position. My best was always tummy to tummy.

I had this problem. I hand expressed a little to make sure there was more soft tissue round the nipple (the problem was my breasts were so engorged). Then persisted with getting her to latch on deeply. Can you call your midwife for some hands on help? That's what I did.

Agree with others about softening the breast first.

Also just try keeping him skin to skin a lot of the time and see if he will just come to the breast when he's ready. If you sit in a semi reclining position supported by lots of cushions, you can just put him between your breasts and enjoy lots of cuddles.

Hopefully you will be seeing your midwife today so you can ask for some suggestions.

Thank you do much everyone. I went and had a bath, hand expressed a little and then came and woke him, and he fed :)

I woke him 2 hours later and as boobs weren't so hard he managed a good feed again!

That's great news Staceym, hope things continue to go well for you.